The New Delhi Municipal Council on Wednesday withdrew a circular that had allowed Muslim employees to leave work an hour earlier during the month of Ramzan, the Hindustan Times reported.

This was the second instance in as many days of a government body in the national Capital withdrawing a relaxation for Muslim employees during this period. On Tuesday, the Delhi Jal Board withdrew a circular that had granted permission to Muslim employees to take two hours’ leave per day till May 2, or till Eid-ul-Fitr was declared.

On Wednesday, Assistant Labour Welfare Officer in the NDMC, NK Sharma, said that the circular allowing Muslims to leave work an hour earlier has been withdrawn with immediate effect. The normal working hours are 9 am to 5.30 pm. The circular had allowed Muslim employees who were fasting to leave office at 4.30 pm till May 2.

The NDMC’s Vice Chairperson, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Satish Upadhyay had opposed the circular and said that it was contrary to the principle of secularism, PTI reported. He said that he had spoken to the NDMC chairperson and urged him to withdraw the order.

“I never knew of any such order and as it came to my knowledge I opposed such order which is unsecular,” Upadhyay said.

On Tuesday, the BJP had opposed the circular issued by the Delhi Jal Board and had termed it as appeasement.

The chief of the party’s Delhi unit, Adesh Gupta, said that the decision showed the true face of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. “On one hand, he is giving a 25% discount on liquor and has opened thousands of liquor shops during the period of Navratri,” he said. “On the other hand, he is giving two hours’ leave to Delhi Jal Board employees for namaz during Ramzan.”

Gupta was referring to a decision of the Delhi government on April 1 to permit private liquor stores to give discounts up to 25%

The Delhi government, which is led by the Aam Aadmi Party, runs the Delhi Jal Board.